Page 5 of Frost and Venom

“That doesn’t sound like a serial killer,” Stella said. She shrugged. “I honestly have no idea.”

There was nothing more to discuss on the subject; they simply didn’t have enough information, so the talk turned to other, more pleasant things—their pets.

Instead of easing the tension in her, Harlow felt more than ever that a huge storm was brewing and she and her friends were going to be caught right in the middle of it.

Chapter Two

The persistent ringing of her phone woke Harlow. Glancing at her clock, she saw it was three a.m. It was clear from the ringtone that it was her mother calling. Again. Seriously, she wasn’t going to stop. Harlow hesitated for a moment and then, with resignation, picked up her cell from the nightstand and answered.

“What’s up, Mom?” She really didn’t need to ask, she already knew the answer.

“Harlow, we’ve been trying to get ahold of you for days. Why didn’t you pick up? You know what’s been happening. Your father and I would like to come there to get away from all the vicious reporters who are not your father’s friends. We’re being hounded relentlessly and need to regroup and come up with a strategy to spin this.”

Harlow sighed loudly. “It’s not happening, Mom. How many times do I have to tell you? The senator is not welcome here, and he never will be. We’ve talked about this multiple times. I’m not changing my mind.”

“Your father’s life is in danger, and his career could be completely shot just when he’s in position to make the run for the White House. This is a conspiracy his enemies have cooked up. He’s a US senator, your father, and deserving of your respect.”

Harlow sat up, shoved back her flaming red hair and hung on to her temper as best she could. “He doesn’t deserve my respect, and he doesn’t have it. He’s a liar and a cheat. He’s guilty of every single thing he’s been charged with. As for the allegations that he raped—”

“Had sex with,” her mother interrupted. “Consensual sex.”

Harlow couldn’t sit in bed one moment longer. She leapt up and started to pace. “Consensual, my ass. How many times did you pay off women? What about the poor girl who was pregnant, and you sent her away long before I was born? You didn’t even try to find her, and neither did he. This behavior has been going on for that long.”

“I offered to keep the baby and raise it. We would have adopted it. You know I wanted children. It was a little boy. She refused and insisted on returning home.”

“How? She was fifteen…”

“Sixteen,” her mother corrected. “Old enough to know better than to have unprotected sex with a married man. I gave her money and got her across the border. All those girls…women came on to him. They seduced him. He’s a powerful man, and they wanted to be with someone powerful.”

Harlow had to press her lips together to keep from swearing at her mother. Instead, she lowered her voice as if someone might overhear. “What about Zahra? I brought her home with me because she’d gone through hell. You saw the state she was in. She didn’t want to be around any man, let alone have sex. Seriously, Mom, I promised her safety, and she got dear old perverted lecher Dad. And don’t ever let me hear you say she tried to seduce him. Don’t you dare put what he did on her.”

“Harlow.” Her mother’s voice softened. “I know what he did to Zahra was wrong. I’ve never questioned what you told me. I had it out with your father, and eventually, he admitted what he’d done to her.”

“Um, Mom, I caught him red-handed. Zahra was screaming bloody murder and crying. He was tearing her clothes off. She absolutely told him no. Shouted no. She fought him.”

“I remember, Harlow,” her mother admitted. There was pain in her voice. “He’d been drinking, and he took anxiety medicine. He was out of his mind. He tried to apologize, and he did everything I told him to do to help us make it legal for her to stay.”

“A man who cheats on his wife, the woman he’s supposed to love and protect, has no integrity. He’ll lie to and cheat everyone around him. You know that. The senator’s entire life played out in front of the press is a huge lie. He’s on a stage, and you’re helping him deceive everyone.”

“Harlow, he’s a great man and has done such good things for this nation.”

Harlow closed her eyes briefly. There was no hope, no reasoning with her mother. She wasn’t ever going to come to her senses. Harlow didn’t understand her. She never would. “By staying with him and helping him cover up his despicable actions, you’re condoning the perverted behavior of a rapist.”

“Stop using that word.”

“You mean rapist? You want me to stop telling the truth?” Harlow sighed and shoved one hand through the thick mass of hair spilling down her back. “Bottom line, Mom. The senator cannot come here. He isn’t welcome. Find another place to take him. I’m getting off now.” Harlow hit the end button and tossed her cell onto the bed.

There was no way she would be able to go back to sleep. She doubted if she would be able to work in her studio. Running was always the best course of action when her mother insisted on talking to her about her father. There were many times when she tried to outrun who she was, and tonight was going to be one of them.

Misha, her beagle, lifted her head from where she had been sleeping curled up in her dog bed beside Harlow’s bed. She watched Harlow dress and put on her running shoes. Misha rushed to the door the moment Harlow stood, making it clear she was not about to be left behind.

“Silly pup,” Harlow said aloud. Misha was her constant companion. She spent a great deal of her time alone, and Misha was the best company. “You always listen to anything I have to say, don’t you, girl?”

Harlow’s first love was photography, and she considered bringing a camera, but in the end, she decided she wanted to run without any encumbrance. “Although, Misha, I’m beginning to make a name for myself in a few of the more prestigious galleries and getting a few night or early morning pictures might just be worth it.”

She started off with a slow jog, running the familiar path that took her away from her house and up a long trail, still on her property, to the studio she loved so much. She continued around the studio, a large rectangular building with banks of windows to allow the sun in. The trail led behind the studio to the back entrance of her property. A narrow road took her up a hill toward town and Shabina’s Sunrise Café. The café was her favorite and very successful.

Rainier not only worked for the CIA in the Special Activities Division, but he also owned a security company. His company employed men much like himself, with his unique set of skills. Frankly, Harlow found them all a little intimidating, and she was rarely intimidated. That included Wilder. She believed he worked for both businesses as well. The men from the security company ate at the café often, especially if Rainier was out of town, because he never left Shabina unprotected.